Brand Finance's Alcoholic Drinks 2026 report, covered by The Shout, shows tequila holding up while the rest of spirits slips. The combined value of the world's top 50 spirits brands fell almost 4% to US$161bn. Against that, José Cuervo's brand value rose 61% to US$1.6bn, the fastest growth in the ranking, and it climbed 12 places to 17th. Don Julio gained 57% to US$2.5bn and Patrón 36% to US$2.4bn. Both are now worth more than every Scotch brand on the list except Johnnie Walker.
I read this as a signal about how people drink, not just about three companies. Brand Finance credits the gains to tequila moving beyond party occasions into premium sipping, celebrations and everyday lifestyle use. That matches what I see in New York: people now order agave the way they used to order a good whisky, by name and by expression.
Brand value is not the same as volume, and it does not guarantee case sales next quarter. But it tells you where consumer trust sits. When the overall top 50 loses value and three leading tequila names gain this much, the category has earned a permanent seat at the premium table.
This is the reason I built MezcalSearch. As drinkers trade up and start sipping, they want to know what is in the bottle, who made it and how it compares. The curiosity they create spills over into smaller producers and into mezcal. Helping people find those bottles is where I think the next stage of this category gets built.